Ukrainian experts are asking for permission to use the apostrophe in domain names

As we reported earlier , ICANN plans to launch non-Latin counterparts of existing domain zones. To identify and solve possible problems, working groups were formed.

During the discussions, Ukrainian experts in the Cyrillic study group took the initiative to allow the use of the apostrophe in Ukrainian domain names. The apostrophe in the Ukrainian language occupies an important place: it is not only punctuation, as in English, but also a spelling sign. The apostrophe performs a dividing function, as does the letter "b" in Russian. But in the Ukrainian alphabet there is no solid sign, therefore, without the permission of the apostrophe in domain names, it is impossible to talk about full support for the Ukrainian language.

 Note that in the Belarusian language the apostrophe performs the same function as in Ukrainian. It is also used in the Macedonian language to denote a short vowel sound [b]. This means that the introduction of the apostrophe is important for the development of not only Ukrainian, but also all Cyrillic domains as a whole.

Now, the U + 0027 (single quote) character, which cannot be used in domain names, is widely used as an apostrophe. The working group took the initiative to allow the use of the U + 02BC sign (Modifier letter apostrophe), which satisfies all existing standards. We hope that ICANN will approve this initiative.